Fate Always Brings Us Back Together
by Lucesco
Summary: Gohan X Videl Imagine, you would have to choose between a deep friendship or a love that could even be stronger than that, at the risk of loosing all you had with that person. What choice would you make?
1. An Unique Friendship

**Hey y'all:)**

**Just another story I had in my mind, and when i started writing it I couldn't stop. I don't know where this is going, but I'm really a little bit surprised I could write these kind of things. It's sorta inspired by the relationship i have with my own friends and by a twisted relationship i have with my stepbrother. I really hope you like it becuse i put a lot of work into it, re-read it about 20 times and because the story already means much to me.**

**Nevertheless, if you don;t like it, please critisize, can always use a good piece of advice. Dont say its stupid and then dont explain yourself, because that wont help me...trying to make a perfect story here...yes i reall want to make it perfect because this one is for my friends and stepbrother, if they ever get to read it.**

**So enjoy and please review!**

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"Hahahaha, you have got to be kidding, hahaha!"

"Gohan, stop! It's embarrassing enough without you laughing about it."

"Alright, alright, I'll stop."

"Good!"

"But man, who does that?! Whahaha, poor you."

"Gohan!"

The place was filled with laughter of one particular person, who was annoying another particular person with it. A cheerful Gohan and a close-to-angry Videl were sitting at their regular table in the corner of their favorite cafeteria. While Gohan kept on laughing, a few people in the cafeteria were watching the odd duo, who were apparently unaware of the attention they were drawing. This is how Erasa, a close friend of the two, found them.

Gohan saw her first and waved to her while Erasa made her way to the duo.

"Hey Erasa!" He exclaimed enthusiastically while still chuckling, before he burst into the next series of loud laughter.

"Hey!" Videl also greeted her friend, but her eyes never left the man in front of her, to whom she was sending furious glances, while her arms and legs were crossed and while taking another nip of her cappuccino.

"Hey! Wow, I haven't seen you in ages, you guys! How are you two?" The blond-haired Erasa asked in an annoyingly high voice, while she took a seat next to Gohan. Again, Gohan started to laugh hysterically.

"We're fine." Videl answered for the both of them. "Only Gohan will get a hand on his cheek by the end of the morning." Her thread, however, didn't work at all.

"Who cares! It's worth the pain, whaha! Hey, Erasa, wanna hear something funny?"

The blond-haired girl's eyes lit up as they always did when she was about to hear something funny.

"Oh, spill it!"

"No, don't listen, it's nothing really!" Videl screamed frenetically, but she should have known Erasa wouldn't listen to her pleas. She was so damn curious, she wanted to know every gossip about everyone.

"Well, you know Videl has been dating a guy for a few weeks, don't you?"

Videl closed her eyes in defeat, while she had a huge frown on her almost pink face.

"Yeah, of course! Mike right?" Erasa shrieked.

"Yeah, whatever…"

Videl's immediately opened her eyes and send a death glare to her best friend, thinking how extremely disinterested he was in her love life, seeing how he brushed of the fact her ex-date had a name like that.

"…anyway," Gohan continued, "she stayed with him last night." He winked to Erasa and she immediately understood, while Videl reddened even more.

"And when the were…you know…done, he…" Again he burst out in laughter while Erasa was screaming to continue.

"No don't!" Videl screamed as hard as Erasa.

"He…he…whahaha…he high-fived her!"

Erasa almost fell of her chair because of her hysterical outburst of laughter, while Videl rested her head on her hand and watched them with fire in her eyes. By now, not only Videl was annoyed, but everyone in the cafeteria shot glances at them.

"Oh my god, Videl! That can only happen to you! I don't mean to laugh, but…" Erasa couldn't even finish the sentence for she had another outburst.

"But you're still doing it." Videl muttered angrily. She ran a hand through her long black hair while she took another nip from her cup with the other hand.

"Oh, Videl, you know we love you!" Gohan said after he calmed down a bit and he could talk normally. "You know you would have done the same thing had it happened to us."

"Whoww, stop there. I would never do that." Videl replied with widened eyes. "Unlike you, I am nice. I don't laugh at people like you do."

"Yeah, right! But okay, it's not nice, I'll give you that. We'll stop, won't we Erasa?"

"Sure, and we promise never to tell anyone." Erasa replied while she thought of who to call first to tell this huge gossip.

"Anyway," Gohan continued, "I take it that guy won't be expecting a call from you any time soon?"

"Duh! In fact, I'm gonna erase his number from my sell-phone this instant."

"Wow, Videl!" Erase shrieked. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you are superficial."

"Yeah, yeah, but c'mon! That guy is nuts!" Videl replied, while she got her sell-phone out of her purse.

"Oh, can I have his number?" Erasa asked innocently.

Videl and Gohan looked at her like she'd gone mad.

"Don't tell me you want to call him!" Gohan asked with widened eyes. "You would be just as crazy as him!"

"No silly!" Erasa chuckled. "If I have his number, I know who he is if he ever gets to meet me, gives me his number and asks me out on a date. That way, I can escape an embarrassing experience."

"Talking about superficial!" Videl muttered while she gave her sell-phone to Erasa so she could write down the phone number.

Gohan took a nip of his coffee before he said something.

"You know, Videl, she was laughing at you just now. I wouldn't have given her his number, if I were you. Perhaps she will meet him and brush him of when he gives her his number and you'll miss the chance of laughing at HER. How funny it would have been if the same thing happened to her as to you!"

"Yeah, so you could make fun of HER! No, Gohan, like it just said, I'm nice! Damn, it's hard!"

"Oh, should I kiss your ass too, babe?"

"You wish, moron!"

"You bet!"

"Drop dead!"

Gohan chuckled as he watched Videl with twinkling eyes. He loved her so much, she was his best friend. They'd been like that since he first met her almost five years ago. With fondness he recalled how they'd meet. It was in high school, senior year. He was new in school and couldn't find his class. He was walking down the hall when all of a sudden he heard someone shriek. He looked down and saw a small girl who had apparently bumped into him, but fell back in process.

"Sorry," he had said with a smile and offering his hand. "I didn't see you down there!"

She got to her feet and had looked at him furiously.

"Are you calling me short?" She had yelled at him.

"Ehm, yeah."

"Where you really calling me short?"

"I was calling you short!"

"I'm not short!"

"You are!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"You shouldn't be talking like this! Don't you know who I am?"

"Should I?"

"What? Have you been living under a rock?"

"No, I live in a normal house in the 439 area!"

"What?"

"You asked me whether I live under a rock. I said "no I live in a normal house in the 439 area!"

"Do I look like I care?"

"Do I look like I want to know who you are?"

"Are you insane?"

"Are you?"

"Don't repeat my question!"

"Don't order me!"

"I wouldn't if you weren't so annoying!"

"This is childish!"

"I know!"

"Who are you?"

"Thought you didn't want to know!"

"Now I do!"

"Well, tough luck for you!"

"You frighten me!"

"Good!"

"You're scary!"

"You're new!"

"Why do you care?"

"I don't!"

"Then why do you mention it?"

"Because I've never seen your goofy face before!"

"Well then get used to it, cuz it ain't goin' nowhere!"

"I like you!"

"Taking the words from my mouth, eh?"

"I'm Videl, goofball!"

"I'm Gohan, shorty!"

Yes, their meeting had been most unusual, but they got off immediately. It just clicked, and it clicked better with her than with any other person he had ever met. Over the last five years, their friendship had grown deeper than he ever thought possible. Even to the point they could say the same things at the same moment, could look at each other and understand each other perfectly, could finish each other's sentences, could know whether one of them was hurt or angry, could know what the other thought. He could laugh at her and made fun of her without being afraid she wouldn't forgive him. She could be a real bitch to him, but he knew she didn't mean the horrible things she said. They could quarrel for hours and make up in five minutes. They could talk for days, and share comfortable silences. They could spend hours watching bad soap-operas on television, spend hours discussing about any subject, spent hours shopping. He let her rage when she was furious, she smiled at his worst jokes. He got her a dog, an animal he knew she loved, after her long-term boyfriend Mark broke up with her two years before, she got him a cat, an animal she knew he hated, when he was away for work at her birthday a few months before. She couldn't get along with his mother, he couldn't get along with her father, but they would visit each other's families every Christmas. Just because they did that for each other. They just…needed each other, they needed each other's friendship.

"Videl, I just want to say one thing." Gohan began seriously. He got her hand and hold it in his, while Videl looked at him questioningly.

"I know it's not funny, that whole high-five thing with that nutcase." Videl cocked an eyebrow. "Alright, it is funny, but I also know it's embarrassing for you. But as embarrassing it might seem now, some day we will look back at this, you'll laugh nervously and change the subject."

A silence followed, in which all three of them said nothing and let the words sink into their head.

"That's it?" Videl eventually asked.

"That's it." Gohan replied.

"Hey, gee, thanks. That will help me a lot." Videl said sarcastically.

"You're welcome." He replied cheerfully.

"By the bye." Erasa began. "Does anyone of you two know when Sharpy will be here."

"He should be here any minute." Videl replied.

"Speaking of the devil…" Gohan said, pointing his finger to the direction of the door. In came a tall guy with long blond hair and an air as if he were the most gorgeous man ever walking the surface of the earth. The guy walked over to their table and winked at a waitress, who blushed furiously.

"Sorry I'm late guys. Had to brush all the ladies off me." He said cockily.

"Don't tell me you were attacked by cats again?" Videl said with a malicious smile on her face, which made Gohan and Erasa burst into laughing again.

"I tell you, they're EVIL! All of them!" Sharpener yelled with a slightly fanatic look on his face.

"Well, then don't bathe in aftershave every time, you know the smell makes them aggressive ! And now you're late!"

"But he's fashionably late." Erasa said happily.

"He's always fashionably late." Gohan bugged in.

"We passed the point where it's no longer fashionably, but just rude." Videl said with a cocked eyebrow and crossed arms. "But since we know you have such trouble dosing your aftershave, we forgive you."

"Thanks guys, I appreciate that." Sharpener said while he ran a hand through his blond locks. "Let me make it up to you, I'll pay the check."

Gohan bend forward and looked at him with a startled expression on his face.

"You have money?" He asked with widened eyes.

Both girls burst into laughter this time while Sharpener was laughing along with them sarcastically.

"Really Gohan, you crack me up. Start with small audiences, dude!"

"Is this small enough?"

"I was thinking more about you and…I don't know, a mirror?"

"It's true love between you and your mirror. It would break my heart to take away your favorite accessory…"

Sharpener growled while he threw his hair over his shoulder.

"Well, your reflection would break the mirror."

"Alright guys, that's enough, let's keep it friendly here." Videl interfered. "We all know that you are both ugly so there is no competition. Now let's order, and order much, cuz it's all on Sharpener's costs."

"Great idea!" Gohan exclaimed enthusiastically.

"That's not fair!" Sharpener yelled. "We all know Gohan's stomach is a bottomless pit!"

"Oh, don't be such a whiner, Sharpener." Erasa shrieked in her normal, cheerful way. "If you think you have it rough, then look at Angela. She has to cook the damn food for him!"

"Speaking of which…" Sharpener said, already forgotten the enormous check he would have to pay later that morning, "…how is she, Gohan?"

"She's fine. Only, yeah, she complains a lot about me eating this much." Gohan said while a blush came to his face.

"Well, I can imagine." Videl replied while she looked at the menu. "I mean, how long have you two been living together? Five months, right?"

Gohan nodded slowly.

"Well, just picture this…how would you feel if you have been cooking for a small army for five whole months? It's overwhelming, I don't think I could handle it!"

"Oh, thanks, Videl. Now I'm feeling guilty about my eating habit." Gohan said while he took away the menu from Videl.

"I'm not trying to make you feel bad, I'm just saying I can relate to her complaining, regardless of how much you eat, which I know you can't help."

"I know you're right. But what can I do about it?"

"Well, appreciate it! If you're like "yeah, she's complaining about it" then do the cooking yourself!"

"You're kinda hard on me Videl."

"I know. But your mother was too overprotective when you lived with her. Gotta toughen you up somehow!"

"She has a point there, Gohan." Sharpener continued. "You were a wimp while your mom took care of you. You couldn't even make tea."

"He still can't. He'd burn the water." Videl replied.

"Guys, what is it today? Make-fun-of-Gohan-day?" Gohan asked sarcastically.

"I thought that was next week." Erasa said while she placed her finger on her chin.

Sharpener and Videl laughed while a waitress came to their table. They ordered and to Sharpeners dismay, Gohan ordered ten times the amount a normal human would satisfy. The waitress, knowing the four friends a little since they came there so often, smiled at them and then walked away again.

"No seriously, guys. I am toughening up. I know mom was a little bit overprotected towards me, but look, I ironed my own shirt this morning!" Gohan exclaimed cheerfully.

"Wow, Gohan that's great!" Videl said. "Quick, call the newspaper, maybe it can still make tomorrow's front-page!"

"You are the newspaper, Videl." Sharpener said to her.

"O yeah! Damn, that joke doesn't work anymore, since it work at the Orange City Daily."

"Finally we got rid of that joke." Gohan sighed satisfied.

"Yeah, I know, it started to annoy me too!" Erasa agreed.

"Hahaha". Videl sarcastically said. "No seriously, Gohan, ironing a shirt is not good enough if you really want to do something!"

"Videl, I really don't feel like talking about it. Sorry to say it, but you're being nosy again. It's between Angela and me. And besides, it work almost sixty hours in a week. Are you saying I should do chores too?"

"Then work less hours! You don't need the money!"

"No Videl, stop! I really don't want to discuss that with you, okay! Now can we just change the subject please?"

A four of them went silent and waited for their food, until Sharpener broke the silence.

"I farted."

"…"

"…"

"Ugh, and I'm sitting next to you!"

"Disgusting! Are you rotten on the inside or something?"

"Must you create your own atmosphere?"

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"Ugh, my nostrils still hurt." Gohan complained as Videl and he walked home after they left the cafeteria and said goodbye to their friends.

"I know. I really think people should get a fine for farting in public!" Videl replied angrily.

"Tell me about it."

They shared a comfortable silence while Gohan folded his hand around hers and he smiled at her the most loving smile.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Videl asked suspiciously, though she could not restrain herself from smiling back.

Gohan looked at her big blue eyes, eyes as innocent as a child, and his smile even widened for a far was possible. Her eyes always made him feel happy, carefree. He had found out more than occasionally that he could never be mad at his best friend only because she could look at him in a certain way. A softness lay in those blue eyes, no matter how much fire they spitted. That same softness had more than often soothed him when he was sad or feeling alone. It was really true what they said. One simple expression could say a thousand words, and hers did. She didn't need words, she only had took look at him with those eyes.

"Nothing. Just now I think about it, it kinda heartwarming how you defended my girlfriend earlier."

Videl's suspicious smile changed into an equal as Gohan's loving smile.

"I like Angela. She's good to you, I couldn't wish for any another person to be with my buddy!" She squeezed his hand a little in a loving gesture.

"I'm sorry you don't have anyone right now." Gohan said to her.

"Don't worry about me. I'll find someone, trust me. I mean look at me…I'm drop dead gorgeous!"

Gohan smiled at her.

"Yeah, I'd say you're a real catch, babe!"

"Hey, no flirting with me mister!" Videl said in a fake-strict voice. "Or I'll have to call your girlfriend!"

"Oh, no! She'll be waiting for me with the frying pan of Doom!" Gohan replied in a fake-panicked tone.

Videl laughed as they continued to walk. They decided to make a detour through the park.

"I love the park in autumn." Videl sighed. "Everything is so colorful, you're almost forgetting that this really is the dull, dirty city park."

"I know, you hardly see the empty soda cans and wet papers spread on the grass."

Silently, they enjoyed the colorful surroundings and they walked across a lake, where dozens of ducks swam.

"Gohan?"

"Hmm?"

"I know I shouldn't have been nosy like you said I was."

Gohan looked questioningly, while Videl looked back with a grave expression on her face.

"What are you talking about?" He asked.

"I was nosy in the cafeteria. I know I shouldn't have been. What you do around your apartment really doesn't concern me. It's your business."

Gohan's eyes softened and he looked at her affectionately.

"Hey, don't mention it. I know how you're like, and you wouldn't be you if you weren't nosy."

Videl smiled at him. He was so sweet. He always was to her, even when she didn't deserve it.

"And besides," He continued, "you were right. Maybe I should work less and do more around the apartment.

"So what's holding you back?"

"I don't know. Maybe it want certainty. When I work, I know I am the best at it. I run my department with ease. Has a file got lost? So what, I send a few emails and the problem is solved. Do two employees have trouble working together? I'll just mediate. Did I forget to prepare for a business meeting? No worries, I'll figure something out. But I can't even do a proper laundry. Or vacuum the living room, let alone cooking."

"I see." Videl murmured.

"So I'd rather do something I'm good at, than something I completely suck in, even though Angela has got a part-time job and managing the house too."

"Well, vacuuming and ironing for example are things even you can learn. Really, ask Angela to show you how it's done. It will take away pressure from her shoulders too."

"Yeah, I will. I know I shouldn't be this selfish. I'm gonna do my best, I promise."

"Well that's good to hear, Gohan. I'm proud of you!" Videl smiled one of her innocent smiles again and Gohan could see she meant every word of it.

After talking a few minutes about work and Videl's love-life, they reached the apartment building Videl lived in.

Reluctantly, Gohan let go of Videl's warm, small hand and Videl started looking for her keys in her purse.

"Well, I have to go, gotta work on this article about this new book, costs me a lots of time." Videl said after she found her keys.

Gohan nodded and smiled at her.

"Well, call me soon, I don't want us to be strangers because of work." Gohan said cheerfully.

"But that will never happen, Gohan. No matter how much I try to avoid you, fate always brings us back together." She sweetly said. "Now give me a hug!"

Gohan happily hugged her, holding her firmly to his own body. When he loosened the hug he found her smiling at him innocently.

"Kiss."

Gohan chuckled and bend forward, to press his own lips softly and shortly against hers, before he let her go. To her it might had become a habit and she probably didn't think it was more than a friendly kiss. To him it was so much more. It was the closest thing to a real kiss, he knew, the closest he would ever get to her. Still he felt a warm, tingling feeling in his stomach, when his lips briefly met hers. Still he was amazed at how those lips felt. Still he wanted, maybe more than ever, to let go of his restraints, and deepen the small innocent kiss and change it to the passionate kiss he longed for since he first brushed those sweet lips. But he knew he couldn't do it. It would ruin everything. Change everything. And he wasn't willing to give everything up.

Videl turned around and walked towards the building. When the door was opened for her, she looked at Gohan one more time, and winked at him, before she entered the building.

Gohan turned around slowly, and thought about the good conversations, them holding hands, their hug, their little kiss and the wink she just send him. Oh, boy…didn't she know how hard she made things for him.

Little did he know that after Videl entered the building, she leaned on the first wall in her path and breathing more heavily than she wanted, she brought her hand to her chest, while tears she struggled to fight back filled her blue eyes.

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**Well, why are you reading this, review!**


	2. Confusing Emotions

**Hey everyone**

**Here's a new chapter, took me long enough ) And thanks for the reviews y'all, although i'd like to say a couple of words**

**First, i totally understand that people wonder what the hell im doing. This is a GV fanfic right? It is, but give it some time. If you really hate pairing gohan and videl with others, don;t read this. Sorry to not have warned you in the first place. **

**Second, someone claimed that the everyone was way out of character. Again, give it some time. Its understandable, because i made gohan more relaxed with his friends and videl more bubbly, but im not betraying their characters. You'll see later on. **

**And third, thanks for correcting me about the spelling. My english isn't perfect, as its not my first language, but i promise ill do my best.**

**Ok, that;s it.**

**Enjoy D**

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Gohan got home fifteen minutes later, thinking how a great time he had with his best friends. They were really lucky they still hung out quite often. After high school, their ways separated and they each went to different colleges. But even then the four buddies, as Videl liked to call them, emailed, called and visited each other frequently. He was glad they eventually ended up living in the same city, so they saw each other a few times in a week. He would always go to the gym with Sharpener (not that he needed the training, but just so that he could spend some quality men time with Sharpener) and afterwards they'd drank a beer in the Irish pub. He saw Erasa every day when they would walk home together, since their work was in the same street and ended at the same time. And Videl…Videl was just everywhere. They called a lot, sometimes about really stupid things. Like the one time she got some coffee to go.

"I'll never buy my coffee to go again at that place we always come. Ever!" She had said before he could even say hello.

"What's the matter?"

"That blond girl at the starbucks…you know with the pigtails…the one that always makes a little chat with us when we come there? What was her name again? Frenchy? Fran?

"Yeah, what about her?"

"She acted like she didn't know me at all. So there I am, making a complete fool of myself by being all nice and friendly and all, and she acted really bitchy. As if I am just another customer. Like, HELLO…doesn't she recognize me when you're not with me? And by the way, we ALWAYS get extra cream on our latté, and guess what? I just got this tiny layer! We are going to look for a new place, starting right now!"

Yes, they would always call about these kind of things. He would get angry when someone cut in line, she would get angry when she saw someone with the same pair of jeans (how she saw it, he had no idea), he would get angry when the movie theatres raised their prices again, she would get angry when the woman in front of her got the last copy of her favorite magazine…and they would call each other for it. Kind of ridiculous really, but that was just how their relationship worked. But that might explain the huge phone bill at the end of the month.

He saw Videl a few days in a week. They often went out lunching or they walked her dog together when he found the time, sometimes they had dinner together, or they went to the movies. He saw her more than he saw Sharpener and Erasa, but then again, he had been friends with her longer than with the other two.

When he closed the door to his apartment and wanted to hang his coat on the peg on the wall, he heard light and swift trampling of little paws. When he looked down he already saw a grey creature walking circles around his left-leg.

"Hey mos." Gohan greeted the cat while he bend down and petted him on the head, while the creature purred calmly, glad that it's master was home again.

Gohan smiled as he remembered how he required the cat. A "gift" from Videl when he was on a business trip while it was her birthday. When he came home, Angela welcomed him while she was holding the cat in her arms. At first he wanted to throw out the animal, he didn't want it to stay at any circumstance and he called Videl angrily, who only laughed and shouted 'Surprise! His name is Moses, he's a real cutie isn't he? Well take good care of him!' Of course she knew he hated cats, though she pretended she didn't. But Angela already loved the animal, which Videl had foreseen of course and his girlfriend persuaded him to let the animal stay and eventually, he gave in. But to his own surprise he had grown quite fond of the creature. It would keep Angela company while he was away and when he was at home he would nestle himself at Gohan's feet if he stood, and on his lap if he sat. It never left Gohan alone.

Gohan picked up the purring cat and petted it behind his ear.

"Had a good morning?" Gohan said to the cat while he walked to the living room.

"Interesting you ask." A feminine voice answered.

It startled Gohan, since he hadn't noticed his girlfriend sitting on the couch in the living room. He saw she was sitting with crossed arms and legs and with a furious expression on her face. She tucked a strain of chocolate brown locks behind her ear and she watched him in anger with her hazel eyes.

"I just woke up this morning, expecting to finally wake up next to my boyfriend, when I found out the bed was empty again." Angela started with clenched teeth.

Gohan looked at her with a frightened expression. He had undergone her outbursts of anger too often than he would have liked, and he could tell by experience they weren't exactly a party. Angela could get really angry, even to the point she threw things to his head and said really terrible things she didn't mean to say. It always reminded Gohan of his mother, who could be seriously scary too when she was angry.

"Then I went to the living room and no note, no message…nothing what could give me a single clue as to where you were." Angela continued while she got angrier and now redder by the minute.

"I called you, you didn't answer the phone. I called your mom, hoping that you had decided to visit her, but she didn't know anything either…I was really close to calling Videl, when it dawned to me that you were probably with her again. So why should I make a fool of myself by calling her and asking where you were, when me boyfriend doesn't even bother to leave me a note as to where he is."

She stood up and, still with a red face and crossed arms, she walked up to him.

"Sorry, I forgot to tell that I got some breakfast with Sharpener, Erasa and Videl. I should have let you know." Gohan apologized quickly, hoping to calm her down a bit, but his apology only made it worse.

"Yeah, you should've!" She was now standing in front of him and she looked at him furiously.

"I just forgot to tell you." Gohan continued, while he bend down and placed Moses, who he had been carrying, on the laminated floor. The animal instantly ran to the couch, jumped on it, and nestled himself on the pillows.

"Oh yeah, 'just'."

"Angela, please let's not do this, it's Sunday. Let's make a walk in the park, or make drive through the country." Gohan pleaded.

"Oh right, that's just really easy."

Angela walked to the couch, dragged the cat off it and began to dust the pillows, trying to get all Moses' hairs from them.

"You know, I cleaned the whole house this morning. You know why? Because I had nothing to do, because no one was with me. Because you were away…with Videl again."

"But it wasn't only with Videl. Sharpener and Erasa were with us too."

"It's always with Videl! Is, like, SHE your girlfriend?"

Gohan was taken aback by that comment. He looked at Angela with widened eyes, before he replied.

"You're not serious, are you?"

"I am perfectly serious!" She spit at him.

Gohan sighed in disappointment as his eyes went from her face to the ground. There she went again, saying things she actually didn't want to say and in the end, she was sorry for it. But they hurt Gohan nevertheless, since he loved Angela, and when someone you love accuses you of something terrible, it stabs you in the heart.

"Alright, I know you're angry and that you're just saying things right now in order to get me." Gohan started as he looked her in the eyes again. "You know I wouldn't cheat on you, or don't you? We've been together for two years and…"

"It's two and a half, for your information!" Angela interrupted furiously, raising her voice with every word. "And how can I know you wouldn't be with another one? You're always away! How can I know someone when he's never with me?"

Somewhere in his heart, he knew she was right and he couldn't blame her for being cross with him. He was away a lot, he was only at home in evenings and on Sunday, and even then he brought some files home so he could work on them. But on the other hand, by working this hard, they could maintain the lifestyle they always wanted to have. They could go on vacation to anywhere they wanted, they could buy expensive things without wondering if they could afford it, they could go to the most luxurious restaurants and hotels, they could wear cloths of the most renown labels and all because of Gohan's salary and the hours he worked to obtain it. He didn't hear Angela complain about those things.

"Look Angela, I'm working 24/7 for the both of us. I wouldn't even have time for an affair, if that's what you're trying to say." Gohan carefully began.

"And still you find the time to be with HER!" Angela dusted one pillow so inhumanly hard that Gohan wondered whether one of her punches could knock him out. The mere thought of it made him flinch.

"Are you talking about Videl again?" He asked very cautiously, as if he had to dismantle a bomb that could explode any minute.

"Who else!" She yelled, while she shot a death glare in his direction.

Gohan let out a deep sigh to calm himself down and he walked towards her.

"Hun, leave her out of this. This really has nothing to do with her. Now calm down and…" He stopped talking when he saw the expression on the red face of his girlfriend and her took a few steps back.

Angela threw the last dusted pillow on the couch and faced Gohan again while she looked like she was going to attack him.

"Don't call me 'hun'. And what do you mean this had nothing to do with her?! It has everything to do with her! We wouldn't be fighting if it weren't for her!" She threw at him barely able to say the words because of her rage.

Gohan looked at her wide-eyed. He really wondered what she was talking about. How could Videl have everything to do with this fight? She didn't do anything to Angela.

"I'm not really following you…"

"She's taking up way too much of you're time! She's claiming you!" Angela screamed.

"But I hang out with Sharpener and Erasa too. So what's the difference?" Gohan replied.

"You hang out with Videl at least four days a week! Four days! You can say a lot of things, Gohan, but four days out of seven takes up a high percentage! And it would be alright with me, if you also spend time with me, but I hardly see you!"

Angela turned around and walked to the hall.

"Why don't you just get it! Spending more time with your friend than with your girlfriend is weird. And it is even worse when that friend is a girl."

Gohan followed her to the hall, where he found her putting on her brown-leather boots.

"Is it strange to think there is more between you two than just friendship?!" Angela's eyes went from the zipper of her boots to the face of her startled boyfriend. Her anger subdued a little when she saw the oblivious expression on his face, as if he really didn't know what he did wrong. But that was just the whole point. He didn't have a clue.

"Where are you going?" He asked softly as Angela put on her black coat.

"I don't know." She answered. "I have to cool down a little…"

"Don't go." Gohan pleaded while he took her hand and looked at her desperately.

"…and think about us and this whole situation." The expression on Gohan's face almost made her stay and forgive him, but she knew that didn't change anything. And things HAD to change, because she could hardly live with the uncertainty that filled her heart because of Gohan's relationship with Videl. She trusted Gohan with her life, but the problem was…she didn't trust Videl.

"Gohan, let go of my hand…"

Reluctantly Gohan obeyed and he loosened the grip on her hand, so she could get her hand out of his.

"…and I suggest you to think about us too."

With that she turned around, opened the door and walked out of the apartment, leaving Gohan alone.

For hours now, Gohan had locked himself up in his workroom. Trying to concentrate on the files in front of him, his thoughts constantly drifted of to the fight he had with Angela that afternoon. She told him to think about them and she probably meant their whole relationship. As far as Gohan was concerned, there was nothing wrong with them. They loved each other, they could discuss anything, they had fun together, they had the same interests. He knew she was there for him, and he for her, they respected each other, their relationship offered them security and a safe prospect for the future. So what was their problem?

Was it really Videl, as Angela claimed? Did his friendship with Videl stand in the way of a good relationship with Angela?

No, it couldn't possibly. Videl even stated that morning that she liked Angela and he knew she would wish them all the happiness in the world. And Angela, though she could sometimes be jealous of his best friend (even he started to notice it after a while) seemed to tolerate Videl. So there should be no problem really.

But what was the deal with the whole 'spending too much time with your best friend' thing. So he saw Videl four days a week! So he liked spending time with her! It wasn't a problem when he and Angela started dating so why is it more than two years later?

Gohan rubbed his eyes and rose from his chair, knowing that working now wasn't possible, as too many thoughts wandered through his head and distracted him. He decided to go to the living room, where Moses was on the couch again, sleeping and making funny noises with his tongue.

'Probably thinking he's a kitten again.' Gohan thought as he watched the cat licking it's lips.

He walked to the open kitchen and looked at the huge clock hanging on the wall in front of him. It was almost eight o' clock and still Angela wasn't back. Gohan thought she was probably with her mother again, complaining about him. She always went there after a fight and from experience he could make out she wouldn't be back before ten. Gohan opened the refrigerator and seeing there was nothing he could actually eat without preparing, he walked to the living room again. He took the phone in his hand and called a Chinese takeaway restaurant, where he ordered portions big enough to feed a whole school at lunchtime. It would take at least half an hour for the food to be prepared and brought. After he made that call, Gohan started pacing through the living room, rethinking what Angela wanted him to think about.

Could he spend more time with Angela without being less with Videl?

Nope, impossible. His agenda wouldn't allow it. He had work to think about, working eight to six every day accept Sundays. The evenings were all planned full, on which he was either with a friend or with Angela and occasionally with his family. So that idea was not feasible.

Could he spend more time with Angela, WHILE spending less time with Videl?

Possible. What the heck…it was the theoretical solution to this problem. He knew Videl wouldn't mind being less with him than they were before. If it concerned the well-being of her best friend's relationship, she would probably encourage it. That way, he could satisfy both parties. He kept both his friendship and his relationship, so no problem right?

Right?

Right. Only one problem occurred in Gohan's mind.

Did he WANT to spend more time with Angela, WHILE spending less time with Videl?

……

……

……

By now Moses had awoken from his peaceful slumber and drowsily watched his master pacing through the living room like no tomorrow. It yawned and stretched it's paws before he rose and gracefully jumped off the couch. Slowly and lazily it walked to Gohan, who was now watching the city through the window.

Gohan was distracted from his endless pondering when he heard the paws of the cat collide with the wooden floor. He turned around to see the animal sitting a few feet in front of him, while it watched him with it's head slightly turned to the right and with serene grey-blue eyes.

Gohan sighed and bend down to sit cross legged under the window and he called the little grey cat, who immediately walked over to Gohan and jumped between his legs.

"Gosh, Mos…I wish I could be like you. No problems, no worries. Just sleeping, eating and occasionally go outside."

The cat watched him with eyes that seemed to say 'I know, my life's too perfect.'

"You really have no idea how difficult life can be with all this love and friendship and all…"

'Yeah, tell me about it', Moses eyes seemed to reply.

"What do you think I should do, Mos?"

'Hey, it's your call bud. I'd like to keep things simple.'

"What am I saying, you're just a cat."

'That's right dude, just a…hey, what's that suppose to mean?!'

With that, Moses turned it's face away from Gohan and began to doze off again.

"What am I doing?" Gohan said to himself, staring absently to the cat between his legs. "Pondering about love and friendship, and what they're both worth to me, talking to a cat…what am I, a girl?!"

Moses lazily opened one eye in reply. 'I didn't want to say it, dude, but since you are doing it…'

Gohan sighed heavily while he scratched Moses behind it ear, causing it to purr lightly.

"It shouldn't be this hard, should it?" He mumbled.

Suddenly he really felt the urge to call Videl. Not to complain about Angela, or to ask her opinion about this situation, or to bestow his problems on her, but just for the simple reason of hearing her voice. It was always good to hear her voice, any time of the day. Even at night. Her voice could comfort him, just the sound of it calmed him down. Hearing her talk about the most insignificant things in the world, like her sock drawer, or her new perfume, or the difference in taste between Pepsi and Coca Cola, made him relax a little.

De-stress, perhaps.

But he shouldn't be thinking about calling her. Instead, he should be calling Angela and ask her to come home.

Then again, she would throw things at him again, encouraged by her mother's disapproval of his behavior.

And that he didn't want.

That would only make thing worse.

So calling Angela was not an option.

Then what held him back to call Videl?

Some little voice in his head said that calling her equaled betraying Angela, since she saw Videl as the reason of all their trouble. As if he took Videl's side, even though Videl didn't even know she was the object of someone's anger.

But then again, Gohan had a cell-phone (checked the spelling P), so how could Angela possibly find out?

She didn't have to know.

Slightly guilty about his decision, Gohan got his cell-phone out of his pocket, sliced it open, and searched for Videl's number amongst all the other numbers in his list of contacts. When Videl's name and number appeared on the small screen, Gohan pushed the button with the little green phone and placed the phone to his ear. Ah, the technology.

The phone rang three times before it was answered by Videl.

"Hey sweetie!" She said through the cell-phone, always sounding happy to speak to him.

"Hey Videl." Gohan replied, but the words coming from his mouth didn't sound as cheerfully as he wanted. To his dismay, they even sounded sad, and Videl immediately caught his tone.

"What wrong? Something happened?" She asked, her anxiety evident in her voice.

"No, no, everything is fine." Gohan quickly said, hoping to convince Videl. Unfortunately for him, she didn't believe him at all.

"You don't sound fine to me. Come on, spill!"

"It's nothing really. Anyway I don't want to talk about it." Gohan replied.

"Really? You know I'm here for you, right?"

Gohan smiled slightly before he answered.

"I know, but I'm fine. There's really nothing to worry about."

"Alright, but if you want a listening ear…"

"…then you would be the first one I would go to."

"Right. You absolutely sure you're okay?"

Gohan's smile widened as he heard her expressing her worries through her words.

"I'm sure, baby. I just wanted to hear your voice."

Gohan could practically hear her smile through the phone, which already made him feel better.

"Is that so? Well, what would you want to hear?"

"It's your call." Gohan chuckled.

"Yes! Okay, before I forget, how is that sweet hairball of that cat of yours?"

Gohan looked at the cat sleeping between his legs and he lay his hand on it's head.

"Mos? He's just fine. He's lying here, sleeping between my legs. The lazy thing has been sleeping all day." With those words, the little cat yawned and changed his position, now lying on his back.

"Wow, did I just hear an affectionate tone?" Videl teasingly asked.

"Guilty." Gohan admitted, as he started petting the creature's belly.

"I knew it! I knew you would eventually grow fond of him! I mean, how could you not? He's adorable." Videl replied happily.

"I know. The little devil stole my heart!"

"Of course! I chose him to be your pet! Admit it, I know what you want."

Gohan only chuckled, as he thought she didn't have a clue what he really wanted. But those were forbidden thoughts, though not quite unknown territory as he thought about it enough. 'Gohan, don't think of that, you have a girlfriend' he said to himself in his head.

"So, how's the article?" He quickly asked, attempting to get all of those forbidden thoughts out of his head.

"Done!" Videl proudly replied. "Worked on it till six, but it's done! I finally had time to eat on a normal time. Really, I ate at a quarter to seven!"

"Wow, and then to think you always eat at nine!" Gohan exclaimed.

"Yeah, I know! You wanna know what I ate. You'll never believe it!"

"Well, what?"

"Homemade lasagna!"

"You actually cooked?" Gohan asked surprised.

"Yup! I cooked!"

"Good for you! So how did it taste?"

It went silent on the other line, before Videl replied.

"It was good."

Another silence fell between them, which was broken by Gohan this time.

"You didn't eat it, did you?"

"……"

"You threw it right down the litter bin."

"……"

"And you ordered something."

"……"

"You ordered pizza, didn't you?"

"Alright, alright!" Videl eventually gave in. "It taste horrible. The cheese was black and the pasta was burned. I almost threw it up. So I went to the people living one apartment above me and offered the meal…cuz you know I don't like wasting food…and they took it gratefully. So I thought I was doing a good deed…"

"How, by poisoning your neighbors with your disgusting food?" Gohan chuckled.

"Why thank you, how nice!" Videl replied sarcastically. "But there I was, back at my apartment, I already ordered my pizza…a marinara this time…"

"Yuck, garlic!"

"I know! I'll be stinking for days! But anyway, I was sitting on the couch in the living room, and when I looked at the window I saw my lasagna bowl falling through the sky. So I ran to the window and leaned forward to see my bowl shattered in pieces on the ground!"

"With the lasagna in it?"

"Yeah! I could see the red spot under the broken pieces of my bowl! So I was just furious, I mean who does that, you must be insane to throw someone else's lasagna bowl out of the window, right?"

"Yeah, and of course you're perfectly sane when you give burnt and disgusting food to your neighbors, believing it to be a good deed."

It went silent on the other line for a moment.

"Yes…" Videl thoughtfully began "…but that's not the point. The point is that it's wrong to throw someone's property out of the window. So I left my apartment to go to the apartment above me for some explanation, while I was really fuming. So the woman who answered the door before opened it and she starts screaming and yelling at me…IN ITALIEN."

"Funny, this weird story starts to make sense. But go on!"

"Yeah, well so I started screaming to her and eventually that woman's husband appears, and fortunately, he was very relaxed and spoke English to me. It turned out that his wife was incredibly insulted by the lasagna I made and even more that I offered it to her and that she got so angry that she threw the bowl with the lasagna still in it out of the window. He apologized, while his wife was still yelling and glaring at me and he promised me to buy another bowl. And I left and that was my whole evening so far. Interesting, eh?"

"You can say that again!"

"So how did your evening went by so far?"

"Boring. Angela is at her mom's and I ordered some Chinese."

"Not at the 'Asian Palace' right?

"Uhm, yes…Something wrong with that?"

"No, I just heard some…stories.

"About what?"

"That restaurant."

"Tell me."

"Something about rats."

"Where?"

"In the restaurant."

"And?"

"In the refrigerators."

"……"

"……"

"Oh."

"Yeah, thought you should know before you take a bite."

"……"

"……"

"Oh, well. I'll just pretend I don't know about it."

"Yeah, it probably isn't even true. You know gossips and stuff."

"Right, just some gossips someone made up."

"Right."

"……"

"……"

"But maybe I should order some pizza's too. You know, just in case."

"Yeah, just in case. But anyway, if you're alone tonight, you can come over if you like."

Gohan thought about that offer. It was tempting, very tempting indeed. But no, he couldn't. Angela would freak out if she knew he was with Videl. It would cause an even more serious fight. And besides, Videl and he would talk until midnight, which meant he had to stay over. And he didn't exactly trust himself with Videl in one bedroom in the middle of the night. Nope, it wasn't exactly a good idea.

"Nah, thanks for the offer, but no thanks." Gohan said, disappointed he had to turn down the offer, though he knew it was for the best.

"That's alright…maybe next time, eh?"

"Yeah." Gohan replied though he didn't think that would happen any time soon.

Right at that moment, the bell rang.

"Oh, that must be my food." Gohan said, while he rose from the ground, waking Moses in the process, and searched for his wallet, while the cat walked over to the couch again and jumped on it to resume his sleep.

"Gotta hang Videl."

"Okay! Good luck with…eating the food and will I see you soon?"

Gohan smiled a little as he walked to his workroom to look for his wallet as the bell rang again.

"Sure, very soon."

"Tomorrow?" Videl hopefully asked.

"Alright. Lunch?"

"Sound good."

"Okay, see you then, baby!"

"Bye! Oh, send my love to Angela!"

"I will." Gohan promised, though he doubted Angela would want to hear it.

"Thanks, bye!"

"Bye."

Gohan put his cell-phone in his pocket again and looked for his wallet on his desk, which he found under some paper sheets. He paid the delivery boy, who had been ringing the bell for several times and he gave him a huge tip for delivering this much food to him.

He ate the some of the food and threw away the suspicious looking things, before he ordered four pizza's.

When it was ten o' clock, he decided to call Angela to ask her where she was and if she wanted to come home. He got her voicemail immediately. She had turned her phone of. At eleven o' clock he went to bed, after calling her one more time without getting her on the line. He thought about Videl and how she always managed to cheer him up with her crazy stories. He also thought about the offer of coming over to her house. He knew he couldn't have accept it, but he was sorry he couldn't, though. Too dangerous, too risky, too impossible. Maybe he couldn't control himself, maybe he would do the things he might regret later, the things that had been wandering through his mind since he started to feel more than friendship for Videl.

More than friendship.

That was love, right?

Wasn't it?

Love and Videl?

Love Videl, or in love with Videl?

Love Videl wasn't such a big deal. He loved Erasa, and, alright, Sharpener too. But in love was a whole other issue.

In love would mean…what did it mean? That he wasn't in love with Angela anymore. Can a person be in love with two different persons?

Was he still in love with Angela?

He was when they started dating. But still? Or did he just love her, like he loved Erasa and Sharpener?

He didn't know. He didn't know anything about his feelings. Damn, why did feelings have to be this complex?

He had asked that question before. To somebody who answered compassionately: _"It makes us human. It is our blessing and our curse."_

Who said that again? Was it his mother? His father? Bulma? He couldn't remember.

He absently watched the ceiling as he sighed deeply.

What would she do now? Sleeping? Or watching television? Or taking a bath?

'Stop it, Gohan!' He ordered himself. 'You should not be thinking about her at this hour!'

But he couldn't stop it. He could never stop it. Once she was in his mind, she never left it soon. And she was in his mind all the time.

Was he really in love? In love with the wrong person?

With that question came the next.

What would it mean for his relationship with his girlfriend?

Should he ignore the feeling he had for Videl?

Or break up with Angela?

He imagined himself this:

1: He broke up with Angela and started something with Videl, assuming she would feel the same way about him. They would be happy for a few months, perhaps years, but then the love was over and they would break up. What would that do to their friendship? The relation would be stained and awkward, he could predict that much. He didn't want to risk their friendship.

2: He would ignore any feeling of love he had for Videl and stay with Angela. He would maintain the friendship between Videl and him and he was running no risk to screw it. It was just like Dante and Beatrice and Laura and Petrarch: secretly worshipping the woman that was out of his reach, while suffering a pain for not being loved back.

Or in other words, risk everything, or risk nothing.

A hard decision that he probably could not make in his sleepy state. But then another image filled his mind.

3: Starting something with Videl and it would last.

That was a new thought. What if it lasted?

Suddenly he heard the front door open and close and a few minutes later Angela entered the bedroom. His head still full of confusing thoughts and emotions, he decided to pretend to be asleep, not having the energy anymore to have another discussion with her. He heard her change to her nightgown and crawling under the sheets. When she was lying next to him, he felt her hands crawling up to his chest and he knew he could no longer pretend he was asleep. He turned around to face her and he saw her smiling at him in the darkness. This also forced a smile on Gohan's face as he took her hand and kissed it.

"Sorry." He whispered in her ear.

She just smiled at him before she snuggled closer to him and she kissed his lips softly. Her hands were roaming over his body as she deepened the kiss. She took his hand and placed it on her thigh, forcing him to slide his hand under her gown. She took the hem of his singlet and tucked it over his head.

Could he do this?

Wasn't it terribly low what he was about to do, after being confused so much by all the emotions and not really in a state in which he could decide if he could go through with this?

Angela kissed his chest, while he could feel her hot breath on his skin.

Could he do this with a dilemma tearing his heart in two pieces?

He felt her hands on his back, exploring the rough surface.

He didn't know. All he knew is that he did not want to hurt Angela.

She tucked her gown over her head and threw it on the ground next to the bed.

He did not want a fight.

She ran her hands through his pitch-black hair.

He didn't want this with his aching head.

She took his pants and boxer off.

He did not want to make love to Angela with Videl on his mind.

She whispered words he could not hear through her moaning and panting.

He did not want to make love with someone other than Videl.

But he had to.

It would be over soon.

That night they made up. Angela was resting on his chest, sleeping contently, not aware of the pain in Gohan's heart. He left the bed as soon as she was drifted off in a deep sleep and putting on his loose pants, he exited the bedroom.

He stood in front of the window, watching the nightlights of the ever living city.

What had just happened to him?

Was he crazy?

Sick?

Or just confused?

He didn't understand his emotions anymore.

What had he done?

What was he thinking?

He felt disgusted with himself.

What in the world is happening to him?

* * *

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